Disclaimer: This article is containing some affiliate links, the products recommended are those I personally use with my family.

Are you in desperate need of turning your laundry pile around or simply needing some help to make the entire process feel a little more smooth? I have been there, and as a mom of five kids I know only too well we all are only one stomach bug or fun day of messy outdoor play away from the pile materialising. Everyone has to deal with laundry, some more than others and I am going to share with you tips and organisational tricks I have found to help keep things running well for my big family.

-Laundry Baskets:

We all know the classic organisation of Darks, Lights and White. I personally don’t use this as I found it ran my pile directly out of control, it also puts the entire dirty laundry gathering and organising in your task basket because children rarely sort their dirty laundry, one is lucky enough if they do put it in the basket in the first place. What has been life changing has been to put one basket in each bedroom. There is another basket dedicated to towels and linens. I wash the contents of each basket on a specific day, no one runs out of what they need anymore and I run the towel and linen regularly throughout the week, it is my favourite to do because it is just such an easy one to wash, dry, put away. We still are cloth diapering for our youngest, I have two specific bins for this, one for all the inserts, one for all the covers and this also mean washing is already sorted and an easy process.

-Detergent choice:

So this is a very personal choice of course. We currently live in Scotland and a dedicated laundry room is a rarity which means our washer and dryer are both in the kitchen. Space is limited and I have been using laundry sheet detergents for the past year, they come in BIO and NON-BIO, they are made by Dr Beckmann and I love how easy it is to portion size, how well they clean the laundry even on a cold wash and how they take no space at all compared to a big bottle or container, they fit in a drawer and if we go on holiday I can pack them no bother in a suitcase. I do not use conditioner, I have sensitive skin and so do some of my children and conditioners do not work for us, the clothes are just fine with detergent and it is a little added saving, plus it means plant fibre clothes and items such as towels, cotton shirts etc preserve their natural absorbency and dry efficiently and are more comfortable. If you have hard water and do want a softener, some white vinegar can be used as a gentle natural option.

-Set a daily goal:

I grew up in a household that was allergic to routine, which is something I naturally crave and thrive with, but like many other people it was a leap of faith implementing one. When it comes to laundry, a weekly plan makes things manageable and if anyone is there to help you, it makes it easy for them to know where to focus help. I do at least one batch of laundry a day but it can be up to three or four as needed, we are a big family though so you might not need something as intense as I do to stay on top. I am adding here a complimentary checklist as a starter point. There is another one at the end of the article if you are in the cloth diapering stage.

-Know when and how to prewash:

Stains happen. If you have kids you know some stains are the stuff of nightmare.

I am going to start with the baby stuff: poops. These stains can be rinsed out with hot water in the sink very efficiently. I then put the laundry in a prewash or extra rinse cycle before doing a full cycle, this works great if you cloth diaper as well. If your baby is breastfed, breastmilk based poops or other stains can also be bleached off by sunlight like magic, this also works on tomato based stains.

Food stains: Once again there is a whole science to it but know that hot water is your friend unless the stain is animal protein based where cold water is your best bet. If you have stains from berries, lemon juice will make them disappear, it works also on upholstery and once saved our white sofa from cherry stains. I would always make the effort to prewash stains you are worried about, this might feel counterproductive but there is nothing worse than throwing something at chance int he washing machine and it coming out still stained then having to rewash it and do stain control anyway.

Don’t be afraid of using hot cycles when needed, especially on bedsheets, if the fabric can handle it this might be all you need to make your whites pretty again.

– Drying and Putting away:

I try my best to make sure everything that can be washed and tumble dried is also put away on the same day, items that need hanged and Air dried whether inside (thank you Scottish weather) or outside (blessed rare Summer days) are picked up and needs to be put away on the same day. It can be hard with kids around but I know if it does not get done in one go it might end in another pile: the clean laundry basket. It is a horror story of its own. So yes, if you decide to take something off the line, make sure to fold and put away, even if you can commit to only half of what is readily air dried, it is best to do it in two episodes than get overwhelmed halfway through the task.

– Drawers check:

If you have fallen behind a while back and are not sure how long it has been and have children it might be possible that by the time you reach the bottom of the hamper some items are no longer needed. Of course even if clothes are being donated or set aside for the future they still need washed and it is worth going through drawers and closets regularly to ensure space is not taken by clothes you are not needing anymore. Even if the backlog is in the drawers you it can still take its toll every time you put laundry away and realise there is too much. It is always nice knowing you are putting clothes that are going to be used and be loved, I can assure you that you will soon notice which items are visiting the hamper more often and which are not as close to your kids heart and left behind, this also helps you to know what to bring in when they need a new size and what is not worth renewing. It is a gentle way to declutter your family’s wardrobes.

I hope this article has been helpful. I am going to add here the Diaper Laundry checklist if you are at a stage where you need it still. These checklists are simplified but they make a good starting point.

I hope you have a magical day,

love, N.